It’s a common scenario: you want to free up space in your Google Photos account or simply want certain images off the cloud, but you still need them on your phone or computer. Deleting photos from Google Photos can be tricky if you’re worried about losing them from your personal devices. This guide provides a clear walkthrough on how to remove photos from Google Photos without affecting the photos stored on your devices.
To ensure you only remove photos from your Google Photos cloud storage and not from your phone or computer, you need to follow these steps carefully. The key is to manage your backup settings and then delete photos via the Google Photos website interface.
Steps to Remove Photos from Google Photos While Keeping Local Copies
This process involves turning off backup temporarily, deleting through the web interface, and verifying the photos remain on your device.
Turn Off Backup
First, you need to disable the backup feature on all devices where you intend to keep the photos. This is crucial to prevent Google Photos from syncing deletions back to your device.
Delete Photos from Google Photos Website
- On your computer, open a web browser and go to photos.google.com/login. Log in to your Google account.
- Carefully select the photos and videos you wish to remove from Google Photos.
- Click the “Delete” icon (usually a trash can). This action will delete the selected items from your Google Photos cloud storage.
Verify Local Copies
After deleting from the website, check your device to confirm the photos are still there.
- If you’re using an iPhone or iPad, wait a few minutes and ensure you have a stable Wi-Fi connection.
- Close the Google Photos app completely and then reopen it.
- Navigate to your Photos view. You might still see the deleted photos. These are now only local copies on your device and no longer backed up to Google Photos.
- To confirm a photo’s backup status, tap on the photo, then tap the “More options” icon . Scroll down to “Details.” This section will tell you if the photo is backed up or only on the device.
Important Considerations
Leaving Backup Off: Remember that by turning off backup, your new photos and videos will not be automatically saved to your Google Account. You will lose the benefits of automatic cloud backup until you re-enable it. Learn more about Google Photos backup benefits.
Re-enabling Backup: If you decide to turn backup back on later, be aware of the following:
- In some instances, the photos you deleted from Google Photos might be backed up again if they are still present on your device when you re-enable backup.
- Conversely, there is a possibility that device copies of photos you deleted from Google Photos might be removed from your device once backup is re-enabled, although this is less common when following these steps. Learn how to turn backup on again.
By following these instructions, you can effectively remove photos from Google Photos while safely keeping them on your personal devices. Always double-check your backup settings to avoid unintended photo loss.
